''Daphnella dilecta'' also known as the Brown Striped Raphitoma is a

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

sea snail Sea snails are slow-moving marine (ocean), marine gastropod Mollusca, molluscs, usually with visible external shells, such as whelk or abalone. They share the Taxonomic classification, taxonomic class Gastropoda with slugs, which are distinguishe ...

, a marine

gastropod Gastropods (), commonly known as slugs and snails, belong to a large Taxonomy (biology), taxonomic class of invertebrates within the phylum Mollusca called Gastropoda (). This class comprises snails and slugs from saltwater, freshwater, and fro ...

mollusk Mollusca is a phylum of protostomic invertebrate animals, whose members are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 76,000 extant species of molluscs are recognized, making it the second-largest animal phylum after Arthropoda. The ...

in the

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Raphitomidae Raphitomidae is a Family (biology), family of small to medium-sized sea snails, marine (ocean), marine gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Conoidea.Bouchet P. & Rocroi J.-P. (Ed.) (2005). "Classification and nomenclator of gastropod families" ...

Description

The length of the shell attains 15 mm. The shell of this snail is elongated and tapers towards both ends. The color of the shell varies from white to light brown, with a series of brown spiral stripes. This snail is known for its distinct pattern and intricate design on the outer shel

the shell pattern of Daphnella dilecta is unique and no two organisms of this species will have the same shell pattern.

Distribution

''D. dilecta'' can be found in Caribbean waters, off the northwestern coast of

Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...

.Tunnell, John W., Jr., Felder, Darryl L., & Earle, Sylvia A., eds. ''Gulf of Mexico Origin, Waters, and Biota, Volume 1: Biodiversity.'' Texas A&M University Press, 2009. 667. and the

Grenadines The Grenadines () is a chain of small islands that lie on a line between the larger islands of Saint Vincent and Grenada in the Lesser Antilles. Nine are inhabited and open to the public (or ten, if the offshore island of Young Island is counted ...

Diet

Daphnella Dilecta is a carnivorous snail that feeds on small marine invertebrates, including other snails, bivalves, and crustaceans. It uses its long siphon to detect prey, and then extends its proboscis to capture and consume its food.

Behavior

Daphnella Dilecta is an active snail that moves along the ocean floor using its muscular foot. It is a nocturnal snail that feeds at night and hides during the day. This snail is primarily solitary, but it can sometimes be found in small groups. It is also known to burrow in the sand or hide under rocks to avoid predators.

Mating

Daphnella Dilecta is a hermaphrodite, meaning it has both male and female reproductive organs. This snail reproduces sexually, and mating occurs when two snails come into contact with each other. After mating, the snails lay eggs that hatch into planktonic larvae.

References

* Espinosa J. & Fernández-Garcés R. (1990). ''El género Daphnella (Mollusca: Neogastropoda) en Cuba. Descripción de nuevas especies.'' Poeyana. 396: 1-16. * Sarasúa, H. (1992) ''Especie nueva en Daphnellinae (Gastropoda: Turridae).'' Publicações Ocasionais da Sociedade Portuguesa de Malacologia, 16, 37–38.

External links

Rosenberg, G.; Moretzsohn, F.; García, E. F. (2009). Gastropoda (Mollusca) of the Gulf of Mexico, Pp. 579–699 in: Felder, D.L. and D.K. Camp (eds.), Gulf of Mexico–Origins, Waters, and Biota. Texas A&M Press, College Station, Texas
* dilecta Gastropods described in 1992 {{Daphnella-stub